“Social Learning” is something I hear a lot about from our clients and elsewhere. But what it is exactly is tough to say. Everyone has a different definition, but vaguely, we all understand it to mean learners interacting with each other, usually supported by some technology. A lot of people think that sounds good. And, certainly, for certain situations, it is.
However, and I think it’s important to remember, there are other interests involved in the evangelizing of “social learning.” Interests that basically want to sell you something (e.g., platforms, consulting, conferences). Some of the marketing can be rather ham-handed: a well-known platform purports to bust social learning myths on its website, none of which I believe anyone actually holds.